7.1: Executive services

The 1997-1998 Portfolio Budget Statements, informs Senators and Members of Parliament of the proposed allocation of resources to portfolios outcomes and their objectives and targets including the agencies within the Health and Family Services portfolio.

In this section:

Budget Measures

Objective

To ensure the Department meets the requirements of Ministers and the Parliamentary Secretary in order to achieve the Government's objectives for the Department as expressed in the Portfolio Budget Statements and the Corporate Plan, and the obligations placed on it as a Department of State.

Priority outcomes

High quality and timely advice to the Ministers and Parliamentary Secretary on portfolio issues.
Effective leadership and management of the Department in responding to the directions of the Government.
High quality and timely policy advice and project management by the Portfolio Strategies Group (PSG), to assist the Executive and Ministers on crossportfolio issues.
Improved accountability mechanisms, risk management strategies and performance measurement in the Department.

Strategies

Continue developing the Corporate Plan to deliver the cultural and organisational changes required by the Government's objectives for the Department.
Continue to foster close links between the Executive and the Ministers and Parliamentary Secretary and their offices.
Maintain clear decision making processes within the Department, and ensure the Department complies with all relevant legislation.
Use the Portfolio Strategies Group to assist the Executive and Ministers on overall resource management and accountability through the:
- Budget strategy, including in relation to the Government's fiscal targets;
- Portfolio Budget Statements, incorporating priority outcomes and commitments to performance targets;
- performance assessment strategies, including better integration with overall planning and reporting strategies;
- Departmental Annual Report, with improved reporting against performance indicators; and
- implementation of the Departmental Information Plan.
To provide leadership within the Department on cross-program issues, including the development and use of national information.
Implement and evaluate Coordinated Care Trials to test whether the models trialed provide better quality and more cost-effective options for service delivery and funding arrangements for the health and well-being of people with multiple service needs.
Continue to develop close working relationships with key stakeholders in the health and related community services field, to facilitate reform in the portfolio.
Use the Audit and Fraud Control Branch to monitor, review and advise on accountability, financial administration, the efficiency and effectiveness of resource usage, risk management and the minimisation of fraud and waste in the Department.

Performance assessment: indicators and targets

Effectiveness

Indicator	Target	Information source and reporting frequency
Overall departmental effectiveness as measured by performance indicators in the Corporate Plan and Portfolio Budget Statements (Priority Outcome 2; Strategies 1, 2, 3)	All targets achieved	Performance reported in the Annual Report
Quality of accountability reporting as reviewed by external assessors (Priority Outcome 4; Strategies 3, 4, 8)	Reporting assessed as high quality	Ad hoc feedback from Central Agencies, the Auditor-General and Senate Legislation Committees Annual
Establishment and evaluation of Coordinated Care Trials across Australia each of which is likely to make a robust contribution to testing the objectives of the Trials (Priority Outcome 3; Strategies 6, 7)	Key stakeholders to obtain agreement to, and support for, the conduct of 12 trials An external evaluation process which has the agreement and confidence of States, the Australian Capital Territory, key stakeholders, funders, trial sponsors, providers and consumers Agreement that 12 Trials will go to the live phase and commence providing services	Signed agreements with States, Territories and Trial sponsors

Efficiency

Indicator	Target	Information source and reporting frequency
Achievement of the Government's efficiency and savings targets (running costs and program costs) for HFS (Priority Outcome 2; Strategies 4, 8)	All efficiency and savings targets met	Actual expenditure compared to budget estimates, departmental systems

Quality

Indicator	Target	Information source and reporting frequency
Ministerial satisfaction with policy advice from the Department (Priority Outcome 1; Strategies 1, 2)	High level of satisfaction	Feedback from Ministers' offices Annual
Satisfaction by Ministers, the Secretary and Division Heads with policy advice and coordination provided by PSG (Priority Outcome 3; Strategies 4, 5)	High level of satisfaction	Feedback from Ministers' offices, Secretary and Division Heads Annual
Executive and Departmental Audit Committee satisfaction with the planning, coverage and outcomes of internal audits and reviews undertaken in accordance with the annual Audit Program and the Fraud Control Plan (Priority Outcome 4; Strategy 8)	High level of satisfaction	Feedback from Executive and Departmental Audit Committee Annual

Performance assessment: evaluation

Coordinated Care Trials

The national evaluation is a joint Commonwealth/ State initiative and will be conducted by external consultants. The evaluation which will test a primary hypothesis that the coordination of care for people with multiple service needs (where care is assessed through individual care plans, and funds pooled from existing Commonwealth, State and joint programs) will result in improved individual client health and well-being within existing resources.

Reporting requirements for the national evaluation are: first report at live phase start up, due 30 June 1997; second report at Trials mid-point, due 30 June 1998; and third and final report at Trials end, due 30 September 1999.

How the program is resourced: reconciliation of appropriations to the program and summary of portfolio outlays (Excel 36 KB)

Variations to Program Outlays 1996-97 to 1997-98 (Excel 21 KB)